Week Nine - Day One

TIME THERE: 25 min.
TIME BACK: 24 min.
WEATHER: clear, 1C, 6km/hr wind there; overcast, 11C, 6km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell, scarf, running gloves (scarf and gloves in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:

An Open Letter to the Drivers in my Fair City

Dear Jack Ass . . .

Hmm, no, that won't do, that's far too crass. Let's start over.

Dear Mr. and/or Mrs. Ass,

I would like to delicately remind you that I exist. I know my "vehicle" is laughably lighter and slower than yours, and I appreciate that sometimes you may not expect to see me on the road alongside you because there aren't a whole lot of us cyclists out on the streets in this town. Still, I exist, and I'm following the rules of the road, so I respectfully suggest that you do the same.

For fear of being unclear about what I mean, please allow me to elaborate. When I am riding on the right side of the right lane, I would appreciate it if you didn't speed past me and then make an immediate right, cutting me off and forcing me to brake hard lest I slam into the side of your car, t-bone style. I would also appreciate it if you did not speed up behind me, slam on the brakes so as not to run into me, then honk and shout expletives at me because I happen to be going slower than you in your Hemi-outfitted truck. I assure you, this rudeness isn't necessary, as I leave plenty of room to pass me without swerving into the adjacent lane (at least I would if your obscenely oversize truck didn't take up an entire lane in itself - which reminds me, have you ever heard of overcompensation?).

Also, and this may come as more of a surprise to you, I would really appreciate if you would treat me like any other vehicle when we both approach a four-way stop. If you arrive at the four-way stop before me, please stop at the sign and then proceed through the intersection without politely waving me on ahead of you. When you wave me through, both of us end up hesitating at the intersection while we each try to figure out what the other is trying to do, and you'd be surprised how often I can't actually see you waving me on due to glare or other issues. When both of us are confused about what the other is about to do, this leads to the potential of both of us starting through the intersection at the same time and having a collision that both of us were trying to avoid in the first place. Besides, sometimes when you do this I end up having to come to a complete stop when, if you just went through before me, I may be able to "hesitate" at the stop sign and therefore not lose all my momentum. Starting and stopping is not that big of a deal when you're in a car, but when you're cycling it takes a lot of effort to get back up to speed after coming to a complete, feet-on-the-ground stop.

My dear Mr./Mrs. Ass, I speak to you as a fellow car owner and driver. Believe me, I love driving - I love it. I love road trips - I was even once the sole driver in a Toronto-to-California road trip a number of years ago, in an old car that didn't have cruise control or even a radio, and loved the whole trip! I now have a car with a manual transmission because I attend more to the road and the act of driving this way, and I like that. So when I say I'm a driver, I really mean it, I love it. So I'm not your enemy, I'm not morally or philosophically opposed to you, nor do I judge you for driving a car. It's just that when I'm not driving, when I'm riding my bike, I would appreciate a little courtesy, a little attention, and a little more following the rules of the road. That's all I ask. And hopefully this way I'll get through the next year of bike-commuting without being run over by you! Wouldn't that be the best situation for everyone involved?

I'm sure my daughter would think so.

Love always,
The Healthy Biker